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Racial differences in parents' distrust of medicine and research
Kumaravel Rajakumar1, Stephen B Thomas, Donald Musa
1General Academic Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 3705 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2583, USA. kumaravel.rajakumar@chp.edu
Insights
African American parents exhibit greater distrust in medical research than white parents. This distrust, particularly linked to education, may hinder minority child participation in clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Medical research ethics
- Health disparities
- Clinical trial recruitment
Background:
- Parental attitudes toward research participation are crucial for clinical trial success.
- Understanding racial and ethnic differences in trust is vital for equitable research.
- Historical and systemic factors may influence trust in medical research among minority populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare trust in medical research between African American and white parents.
- To identify factors associated with parental distrust in research.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was administered to 190 parents (140 African American, 50 white).
- Parental distrust was measured using a summative score from 8 questions on research trust.
- Data were collected from August 2004 to April 2005 at a Children's Hospital Primary Care Center.
Main Results:
- African American parents reported significantly higher distrust (67%) compared to white parents (50%, P = .04).
- Lower educational attainment was associated with greater distrust (74% vs 44%, P = .03).
- African American race remained a significant predictor of distrust, even after controlling for education (OR, 2.25).
Conclusions:
- Parental distrust toward medical research is significantly higher among African American parents.
- This distrust may represent a substantial barrier to enrolling African American children in clinical research.
- Targeted strategies are needed to address and overcome distrust in African American parents to ensure diverse representation in research.
Objective:
To assess and compare the attitudes and trust that African American and white parents have toward their children participating in research.
Design:
Self-administered, cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of parents.
Setting:
Primary Care Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh from August 2004 through April 2005.
Participants:
One hundred ninety parents (140 African American and 50 white parents).
Outcome Measure:
Parental distrust of medical research as measured by a summative score of distrusting responses to 8 questions assessing trust in research.
Results:
African American parents had significantly greater distrust than white parents (67% vs 50%, P = .04). Education was also associated with having significantly greater distrust (74% of those with
Conclusions:
The degree of parental distrust toward medical research was significantly greater among African American parents. Parental distrust may be a barrier to enrollment of African American children in clinical research. Strategies for overcoming the higher level of distrust in African American parents are warranted for ensuring adequate representation of African American children in clinical research.
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